Criminal
by StarCrusader
Summary: Okay, so the characters are a bit OOC. What happens when Lucy, a journalist, meets the criminal she's been trying to write an article about? And what happens when she falls in love with him, and is forced into a crazy life of trying to find a drug cartel? And who is Natsu really? Read to find out!


Lucy, with pen and paper in hand, ran to the scene of the crime. She was a journalist for _Fairy Tail_ magazine. She always had her nose in the police's business, pestering about whatever crimes were going on. The scene she was at now was a bank. The notorious Masked Dragon had struck again, according to the mumbles of the police officers nearby. Nobody knew what he looked like, but he had pointy teeth, according to witnesses. Lucy ran up the steps, the cold autumn air forcing her inside the bank.

"Lu-chan!" Levy came over, a pen and paper in her own hands. She was also a journalist for _Fairy Tail._ They partnered up on a few articles, and this was one of them.

"Hi, Levy-chan. Anything yet?" Lucy asked, looking around at all of the police officers.

"Well, they searched the place, but couldn't find the perpetrator. The police are actually just packing up to leave. They won't give out any information just yet."

"Of course they wouldn't. I guess we'll just have to pester them over the next few days, huh?" Lucy smiled as Levy giggled.

"Yeah. I'm gonna head back. You coming?" Levy asked.

"Nah, I'm just gonna call it a day. I had to write an article earlier about dating tips, which was awful. So I think I'm just going to go home." Lucy said, calling out Plue to accompany her.

"Okay. See you tomorrow then, Lu-chan!" Levy called, walking to the big doors. The room was mostly empty now, a few security officers spread throughout the room.

Lucy stood there for a moment, then walked out of the bank. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as she opened the doors. She took the steps two at a time, then turned into the alleyway by the Bank. She was looking for clues to where the Masked Dragon might've escaped, but she wasn't prepared to find _this._

A man had his back to her, taking off a black mask. _No way..._ She thought. The man turned to face her and her little companion, a look of shock on his face. He had pink hair and beautiful onyx eyes.

"Y-y-you're the -" Before Lucy could point out his identity, a gloved hand was pressed against her mouth, and she was pushed against the hard brick wall of the Bank, out of sight of any passerby. Hard onyx eyes stared into her own. She began to reach for her Celestial Keys, but the man grabbed her hand before she could do anything.

"Pun Pun." Plue said, sounding scared.

"If you don't struggle, then you won't be hurt. Unfortunately, you've seen what I look like, so I can't let you leave." The man whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her back. Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what he had said. _Is he gonna kill me...?_ She felt her heartbeat pick up, tears pricking her eyes.

When the man saw her eyes watering, his eyes seemed to soften - but only slightly. Then, she and the man looked down to see Plue hitting the man's legs, even though it was really weak.

"What's this?" The man temporarily removed his hands off of Lucy to bend down and inspect Plue. Taking this moment, Lucy kicked him where it hurts, grabbed Plue, and ran.

She didn't stop running until she got home. She threw the door shut and locked it, still holding on tightly to Plue. _I need to tell the police!_ Lucy thought, rummaging through her purse. When she found her pink cellphone, she sighed in relief. _Just one simple phone call._ She thought.

"If you do that, then you'll be in big trouble." Lucy shrieked as the Masked Dragon came through her window. He grinned, his canines looking sinister in the light.

"W-what're you gonna do to me?" Lucy asked, backing up, hitting the wall.

"First, I think I'll deal with your little friend." The man walked towards them, and Lucy panicked.

"Plue, go back!" Lucy said, and with a puff of smoke, he was gone.

"What the - where'd he go?!" The man looked confused.

"Back home." Lucy said. "I won't let you hurt my nakama."

"Hey, you got any food?" The man went into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge.

"W-Wait a moment!" Lucy shouted. _He went from evil to hungry just like that?_

Lucy ran into the kitchen just in time to see him shove an entire chicken down his throat. _Uncooked_ chicken. She shivered in disgust.

"You can at least _cook_ it!" She said.

"I don't know how to. Every time I do, it gets burned." The man said, looking for more food. Then, an idea popped in Lucy's head.

"How about a deal?" Lucy asked, eyeing the man cautiously.

"A deal?" He stood up, closing the fridge. "What kind of deal?" His eyebrow quirked.

"If I teach you how to cook, will you promise not to hurt me?" Lucy asked.

"Hurt you? I wouldn't do that in the first place!" The Masked Dragon said.

"But I know what you look like. In the alleyway you said I wasn't allowed to leave." Lucy felt really nervous.

"Oh, that. You're my hostage." He said casually.

"Hostage?!" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Wherever you go, I have to go, too. And vice versa." He grinned, sending more shivers down Lucy's back.

"And if I try to tell anybody?"

"You won't." He said, walking towards her. She backed up until she hit a wall. He placed his hands on either side of her face. She felt her face heat up. She hadn't ever been close to a guy before, even if this one in particular was threatening her. She had to admit, he was incredibly handsome.

When he noticed that she was blushing, a slight blush crept across his own face. "Anyways, I won't always be in sight, but just know that I'm following you." He said, backing off.

"Wait. Does that mean you're staying _here?!_ " Lucy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Duh. You're such a weirdo." Then, his eyes widened as he realized something. "Shit." He said, making his way towards the window.

"Huh?" Lucy was confused.

"I forgot my cat. Hold on." And with that, he jumped out the window.

Lucy stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. Then, she went to the fridge. She sighed when she saw that most of her food was gone. _Guess I_ _'ll have to go grocery shopping._ Then, something popped in Lucy's mind. _Why don_ _'t I just call the cops now? I mean, he's gone..._ Lucy went to grab her phone but froze when she felt a cold breeze on her skin.

She turned to see the Masked Dragon coming back through her window, a bundle of blue in his hands. As he set the bundle on the ground, it began to walk around. And it had two decorative wings on its back. It made Lucy perk up.

"Aw~!" She said, stars in her eyes. "What's his name?" She asked, petting the furry blue creature.

"Happy."

"What a cute name!" It took Lucy a moment to register that it wasn't her captor that had spoken. She blinked, then stared at the cat. "What?"

"My name's Happy." The little cat said. Lucy just sat there, shocked.

"Y-you can talk?" Lucy asked as the cat's belly grumbled.

"Natsu~! I'm hungry~!" Happy cried, _flying_ over to the Masked Dragon.

"Happy! You just gave away my name!"

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, still creeped out that Happy could talk and fly.

"Damn it." Natsu said, looking somewhat upset. For some reason, Lucy didn't like that expression on his handsome face.

"I'm Lucy." Lucy said, sticking out her hand. Natsu looked at it for a moment before a grin appeared on his face. When he shook it, a volt of electricity shot through Lucy's hand. It was so intense, she immediately let go of his hand and stared at her own.

"What's wrong, Luce?" Natsu asked, staring at her with concerned eyes. _Luce?_

"Nothing, my hand just cramped." She lied. "Anyway, we need to go shopping for food." Lucy said, grabbing her purse and cell phone. "I assume you're gonna follow me?" Lucy asked, casting a sideways glance at Natsu.

"You bet!" And then, they were off to the grocery store.

 ** _~The Next Day~_**

Lucy sat at her cluttered desk, hands furiously typing up an article about a fire that had started in an apartment complex the previous night. Apparently, the cause of the fire was arson, and two people were burned badly and sent to the hospital. Their names were yet to be announced.

"Lu-chan~!" Lucy smiled as Levy came into the cramped space.

"Hi, Levy-chan. What's up?"

"Mira said we can go on our lunch break now. Wanna go to Sabertooth Cafe?"

"Sure!" Lucy grabbed her purse and jacket, saved the article, and followed her friend outside. As fall dragged on, the air was getting colder. On the way to the cafe, the two friends happily chatted about movies, any recent news, and what they would get to eat.

"I think I'll get a salad." Levy said. "What about you?"

"Hmm, probably just a strawberry milkshake. I'm not really hungry." Lucy hardly ate when she worked. Whenever she did, her full stomach would try to convince her to take a nap, which is something Mira didn't like.

The duo walked inside, and Lucy nearly had a heart attack. Sitting in the corner, wearing a hat to hide his identity, was none other than Natsu.

"Lu-chan? Are you okay?" Levy followed her gaze and frowned. "Who's that?"

"I-I don't know. He just looked familiar. Uh, Levy-chan, I'm not feeling too well." Lucy was too creeped out by Natsu's presence. "Will you tell Mira that I'm sick? I'll continue the article from my house."

"U-uh, I guess. Do you want me to walk you home?" Levy asked, worry laced in her voice.

"No thanks, I'll be fine. I'll see you on Monday, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, Lucy quickly left the cafe and jogged towards her apartment. As Lucy entered, Natsu was waiting for her, sitting on the couch.

"What the hell, Natsu?!" She asked.

"What?"

"You know why I'm upset! Don't just show up randomly in public, dressed up like a suspicious creep!" Lucy said, walking to the kitchen.

"Well, I _did_ say that I'd be following you." Natsu replied, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, but you look funny when you're doing it!" Lucy opened the fridge and grabbed a soda.

"What was that?" Natsu asked, coming towards her.

" _You. Look. Funny._ " Lucy walked past him with a smirk on her face. She went into her room and laid down on her bed, stretching out.

"Oi, we ain't done yet!" Natsu said, coming into the room after her. Happy also came in, a sly smile on his face.

Lucy sighed and sat up, a slight smile on her face. Natsu stopped when he saw it. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's just cute how you get so upset over the smallest thing." She teased, getting a slight blush out of Natsu.

"It's not cute..." He muttered, sitting on the floor. "Anyways, what's for dinner?"

 ** _~That Night~_**

Lucy awoke from a nightmare, covered in a cold sweat. A flashback of the nightmare caught in her mind. Natsu had a knife, and he slashed into her the moment before she woke up. _Why am I being so calm about this? He_ _'s a criminal!_ She scolded herself as she got up for a drink of water. She quietly tiptoed past her sleeping stalker and crept into the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and took small sips at a time. It was dark, but her eyes were slowly adjusting. _I could sneak away right now as he_ _'s sleeping._ But, she didn't make any move to.

Lucy had this weird feeling like she had seen him somewhere before. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice a shadow quickly coming towards her. Yelping in surprise, Lucy found herself between the cold fridge and a really warm body. Her glass had fallen, shattering upon impact with the ground. A warm hand pressed against her mouth, making screaming futile. Then, she saw the eyes. The same breathtaking onyx eyes she had seen before. When they stared into her eyes, they seemed to soften.

"Luce?" A quiet voice came, the hand removed from her face.

"What the hell, Natsu?!" Lucy whispered back.

"I thought you were an intruder." He said, backing up, heading towards the sharp glass on the ground. Lucy noticed this, and panicked.

"Natsu, no!" Without thinking, Lucy pushed him to the ground, just behind the glass, but she sacrificed her own feet. She felt the glass cut into her, and she stumbled, landing on top of Natsu. A burning, stinging sensation licked Lucy's cuts, and she clenched her teeth so she wouldn't cry out.

She felt strong, warm arms coil around her waist, promptly lifting her up off of the ground. After a few seconds, Lucy felt her body being set on the bed, her injured feet slightly hanging off the bed. With tear-pricked eyes, she watched as Natsu carefully removed the remaining shards of glass. He disappeared for a moment to get something.

When he came back, Lucy saw him wince when looking at her feet.

"Is it bad?" She asked.

"N-not at all. This salve that I have will take away the pain and make the cuts disappear. But, why would you do that? Sacrifice your own feet for mine? Especially since I'm keeping you hostage."

"Honestly, I don't know." Lucy said as Natsu lifted her left foot. She cried out when the burning of the salve mixed with her cuts. When he finished the other foot, he sat down next to her. "I don't think of myself as your hostage, Natsu." Lucy said after a few moments of silence.

"What do you mean?" His face showed slight shock mixed with amusement.

"I think what I'm trying to say is... I wanna be your friend, Natsu. You're not a bad person. If you were, you would've killed me, or let my feet keep bleeding. But, you didn't." Lucy didn't know why she was saying all of this, but she couldn't help it. She was so drawn to him. He was really handsome, and he seemed like a warm person.

"Luce..." He wouldn't stop staring at her, his expression hard to read.

"A-anyways, thanks for the medicine. We should probably go back to bed." Lucy said, feeling embarrassed.

"Y-yeah." He stood up quickly, but Lucy caught the slight blush on his face.

"Wait!" Lucy said before she could stop herself.

"What?" Natsu turned to face her.

"Uhh, can you stay in here until I fall asleep? I had a nightmare..." Lucy looked away, feeling childish.

"Of course, Luce!" He said, crawling in bed with her.

"Huh? I didn't mean-" But she stopped talking as she felt his heat radiate against her skin. "So... warm..." Lucy turned so her back was facing him, that way he couldn't see her blush.

"Of course I'm warm. That's what happens when you're a Fire Dragon Slayer." An audible gulp was heard as Natsu caught his mistake.

"Fire Dragon Slayer?" Then, something clicked in Lucy's brain. She turned over to face him. "Natsu as in... Natsu Dragneel? Leader of the _FBI_ Natsu Dragneel?!"

"Shit..." Natsu's eyes widened.

"Wait, then why've you been robbing banks?" Lucy sat up, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"I can't trust a _journalist_ with this." Natsu's eyes hardened, and Lucy felt a lump in her throat.

"O-oh." Lucy got out of bed, noticing how her feet didn't hurt anymore.

"Luce, I didn't mean -"

"No, it's fine. I think I need some fresh air. I'll be back in a bit." She left the apartment and ventured into the dark night.

The cold air bit at her, but she didn't care. The apartment was suffocating. Lucy went to grab her keys to summon Plue, but nearly had a heart attack when she realized they weren't there, and that she was still in her pajamas. With the hope of not attracting the attention of any robbers, Lucy continued onwards, not looking back.

When she reached the next block, she decided to turn back. She knew it was silly of her to ask Natsu to tell her about confidential things, but he didn't have to make her feel bad because of her career. As she reached her apartment complex, Lucy felt eyes on her. She looked up, half-expecting Natsu to be staring out at her from her window, but he wasn't. Lucy turned around, and nearly yelped in surprise.

Behind her was her ex-boyfriend, Derek. He was a mage that could talk with animals, and he could hear things and smell things no human could. Like a wolf, almost. And like a wolf, he was territorial over his things.

"Derek? What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, uncomfortable.

"To see you." He grinned, his sharp teeth glinting under the nearby streetlamp. His red hair looked messy, and his golden eyes were cold.

"W-why?" Lucy asked, backing away from him.

"Who's your new boyfriend, huh?" He asked.

"Boyfriend?" Lucy was confused.

"You smell like a man." He said, stepping towards her, his smile now a frown.

"O-oh, yeah. That's none of your concern, so please, go away."

"Oh, sweetheart, if I can't have you, then nobody can!" He lunged towards her, and Lucy cried out the only person's name that came to mind.

"Natsu~!" She screamed, pushing her crazed ex away. She took this chance and began running away, but Derek was faster than her. He pushed her down onto the hard ground, and hot tears began to stream down her face.

"Don't worry," he whispered in Lucy's ear, sending shivers down her spine, "I'll kill you quickly. That way, _nobody_ gets to have you."

" _Get off of her!_ " A voice yelled. In an instant, the weight of her ex vanished off of her back. Lucy sat up, watching Derek and Natsu wrestling.

"You mean _you_ _'re_ her boyfriend?" Derek grunted.

"What's it to _you?_ " Natsu asked, landing a blow on Derek's face. Derek coughed up some blood, and Lucy just sat there, shaking.

"She's _mine!_ " Derek landed a blow to Natsu's chest, but he just grinned. Derek's eyes widened in fear. "What _are_ you?!" He asked, voice trembling.

"Your biggest enemy, prick." And with another blow to the face, Derek went still. He was breathing, just unconscious. Natsu went through Derek's pockets, sighing when he found something. "He was using drugs."

"W-what?" Lucy asked, stupefied.

"There's cocaine in his pocket." Natsu found Derek's phone and dialed a number, giving them directions to where they were. When finished, Natsu wiped the phone of any prints, and grabbed Lucy's hand. "We gotta go, the police will be here any moment."

Before Lucy could really register what was going on, she was back in her apartment, sitting on her bed. Natsu was sitting next to her, breathing slightly heavier than he normally did. "N-Natsu... You came for me?" Lucy asked, her eyes still watery.

"Of course, Luce." He broke out into a grin, which made Lucy's heart flutter.

She felt tears welling up again, but she struggled to keep them down. Natsu noticed, and his grin softened into a slight frown.

"Luce? Are you okay?" Natsu asked, staring into her eyes.

"Natsu, why did you come after me?" Lucy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because that's what friends do, Luce." _Friends, huh?_ Lucy thought bitterly.

"Yeah." Lucy said, looking down at the ground. She knew she had just met him, but she couldn't get this feeling out of her system. The feeling that she _loved_ him.

"I'm looking for a drug cartel." Natsu said.

"Wha?" Lucy looked up at him, confused.

"I'm undercover, and there's a drug cartel / sex trafficker I'm trying to bust. Their headquarters in a secure location, so I thought I'd check all of the banks first. But I don't actually take any money."

"I thought you didn't trust me?" Lucy asked, wiping away her tears.

"Of course I do, Luce!" His smile made her blush.

"Natsu..." She stared into his eyes, but before she could kiss him, she shot up, going into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower." She shut the door behind her, remembering that she was just a 'friend'. When she turned the water on, she heard the sirens grow closer. Quickly, she rinsed off and dried off. When she entered her room, Natsu was still on her bed, staring out the window.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, realizing she was just in a towel.

"Luce, come here." Natsu said, making room for her on the bed. He was still looking outside.

Lucy did as she was told and looked out the window. "What're they saying?" She asked.

"Derek's gone." Natsu said, frowning.

"Gone?" Lucy was confused. "How?"

"I don't know, but I don't like this. Luce, I don't think you should leave your apartment anymore. At least, not until he's found." Natsu turned to face her, and immediately blushed.

"What?" Lucy looked down to find that her towel had fallen off. "Ah!" She quickly picked it up and put it back on, embarrassed. "Get out, pervert!" Lucy shouted.

When Natsu left - due to a swift Lucy Kick - Lucy threw on a tank top and some shorts. She towel dried her hair, and threw it up in a ponytail. "Open, gate of the Southern Cross, Crux!" In a poof, the elder cross sat on her bed.

"What can I do for you, Miss Lucy?" He asked.

"I need you to do research on Derek Suzumoto." Lucy said. The cross simply nodded, then entered his sleep-like trance. After a few minutes, his head snapped up, and he looked a bit worried. "Well?" Lucy asked.

"This is bad news, Miss Lucy. He's dead."

"What?" Lucy felt her stomach twist.

"He was part of a drug cartel. He was murdered by his own comrades."

"Can you tell me where?"

"Yeah, it's at-"

"Wait! Write it down, please." Lucy figured Natsu was listening to every word. She handed Crux a pen and paper, watching nervously as wrote down an address. When he handed it back to her, he disappeared in puff of smoke. When Lucy read the location, she gasped.

Natsu burst through the door, then zeroed in on the paper. "Luce, what's written on that paper?" He came towards her, hand out expectantly.

"No." Lucy said, clenching the paper tightly.

"Luce, give it to me." Natsu was right in front of her.

"Not unless you say I can help you." Lucy said, holding the paper behind her back.

"What? That's ridiculous, Lucy! It's too dangerous!"

"It's too dangerous for you to go alone!" Lucy yelled, clenching the paper even tighter.

"Luce. Give me the paper. Now." Natsu said.

"Not until you agree that I can help you." Lucy stared into his eyes. She wouldn't back down.

"...Fine." Natsu sighed.

"Here." Lucy handed over the paper, and watched as Natsu's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way." He was baffled.

"I know." Lucy frowned.

"The Airport of Magnolia? There's no way that this is the right place!"

"Grandpa Crux is never wrong, Natsu." Lucy said grimly.

"Luce, there's no way I can let you do this. An airport is huge, and that can only mean that the cartel has people working there."

"You promised!" Lucy said, feeling anger boil inside of her.

"It's too dangerous!" Natsu yelled.

"I can handle myself!" Lucy shouted back, getting in his face.

"Luce, I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Why do you care?!"

"Because I think I love you!"

"W-what?" Lucy stood there, dumbfounded. Natsu's face immediately heated up, and he turned away.

"Nothing." He said, walking towards the door. Before he could leave, Lucy grabbed his hand, making him stop in his tracks.

"Natsu, look at me." Lucy demanded.

"Luce, I-"

"Look at me." She repeated. He did as he was told, his face the color of his hair. "Natsu..." She looked into his eyes, and got on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his soft ones. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist as she ran her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair.

"They llllliiiiiiiike each other~!" Happy's voice rang through the air, making the two abruptly pull apart from each other.

"Happy!" They yelled. Then, one thing led to another and Lucy ended up kicking both boys out of her room, closing the door behind them. She slid down the it, sitting on the floor.

"What... just happened...?" Lucy's voice was barely a whisper. She had just _kissed_ him! And _he kissed back!_

Lucy slowly stood up and opened the door slightly, peering out into the living room. Natsu was sitting on the couch, head in his hands, while Happy was grinning from ear to ear. Just as she was about to close her door, Lucy heard Natsu speak.

"There's no way I can drag her into all of this..." He muttered.

"It's a bit too late for that now, isn't it?" Happy asked.

"It's not too late. I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to her while we were in the field." Natsu shifted his position, that way he was laying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"So what're we gonna do?" Happy asked.

"We gotta leave, Happy. Go to the airport without telling her. She'll be upset, but as long as she's safe, it's okay."

"You can't stop me from going with you." Lucy opened her door all the way, shocking Natsu and the little blue fur ball.

"L-Luce!" Natsu quickly sat up, a blush tinting his cheeks.

"You made me a promise, Natsu." Lucy said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but-"

"I'm going with you! End of discussion." Lucy smiled and decided to sit next to him on the couch, their knees lightly touching.

"You really are stubborn, aren't you?" Natsu sighed, then smiled. "Fine. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Yes!" Lucy cheered, excited. She'd always wanted to be an agent of some sort.

"You're such a weirdo." Natsu said, grinning.

"Whatever. Anyways, I'm going back to bed. And don't you _dare_ leave without me." Lucy shot him a death glare, making his smile a nervous one.

Lucy crawled in bed, leaving the door open. Once her light was off, the entire apartment was engulfed in darkness. She closed her eyes, but the kiss of sleep never came. So, for a while, she just played in bed, staring into the darkness. When even the slightest bit of sunlight was visible in the sky, Lucy shot out of bed and went into the bathroom, letting the hot water of her shower pour over her body. She was extremely nervous about what the day had in store for her.

"Luce, you okay? You've been in there for a while." Natsu's voice rang behind the door.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a moment." Lucy shut off the water, drying off with a towel. She wrapped the towel around her body and left the bathroom, heading into her bedroom. On the way, she giggled as she saw Natsu digging in the fridge. He looked up at her, blushed, then grabbed an apple and sat at the table.

"Hey, Natsu? Can I talk to you after I get dressed?" Lucy didn't want the little blue cat to tease them again.

"Sure, Luce!" Natsu smiled.

Nodding, Lucy went into her room to get dressed. She decided on wearing a white and blue top with a blue skirt. She attached her whip to her side, and put her keys through a loop on her belt. Her hair was put up in a side ponytail, and she had on her boots. Satisfied, she opened the door and headed out to the kitchen, grabbing an apple for herself. Natsu stood up when she motioned for him to come back into her bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"What's up, Luce?" He had his hands behind his head.

"I want you to promise me something." She said, sitting on her bed. The red apple was unbitten, tossed back and forth between her hands.

"Oh?"

"Promise me that no matter what, you'll bust this cartel. Even if I fall somewhere along the way, just keep going." Lucy wouldn't meet his eyes. She didn't like talking about things like this.

"Luce, I promise that, no matter what, I'll protect you." This caught her by surprise.

"But..." Lucy stopped when she saw the determination in his eyes. "Then I guess I'll have to protect you, too." Lucy said, smiling. "Let's do this!" She said, standing up.

"Aye!" Natsu stood up with her, fist in the air. "I'm all fired up!"

 ** _~To The Airport!~_**

Natsu and Lucy split up to find any clues about the cartel. Natsu went with Happy, and Lucy had Plue by her side. She even had a suitcase to look less had been wandering around for about two hours until she finally had to sit down. Her legs hurt from all the walking. And it seemed that, no matter where she went, Natsu and Happy were nowhere to be seen. Plue had also grown tired of walking, so Lucy had no choice but to carry him around.

She idly played with the necklace she had been forced to wear. According to Natsu, there was a small wire in it, that way they had a way to contact each other. However, she could only use it if she pressed a button on the back of it. Then, if Natsu wanted to talk to her, he could press the button on his watch, and it'd feed straight into the tiny chip in her ear, letting her hear everything, whereas nobody else would.

"Excuse me, miss, but is anyone else sitting here?" A young man asked. He had short black hair.

"No." Lucy was bothered by this man because there were many other open seats available, and he chose to sit by _her._

"The name's Mest." He smiled at her, and Lucy forced a smile back. "What's your name?" Before Lucy could come up with a fake name, she idiotically gave her real one.

"Lucy." She mentally face-palmed. _I guess I should practice trying to be secretive when I can..._

"What a beautiful name, for such a beautiful lady." The man smiled yet again.

"U-uhm, thank you." Lucy's ears burned red. Nobody had ever come up to her like this before.

"Can I buy you a coffee or something? It's not often I see such a beauty, and I'd very much like to get to know you." There was something off about him, and Lucy knew it. His kindness seemed fake and forced.

"Uh, I don't know, I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate it..." Lucy trailed off. Technically, she and Natsu weren't dating, but she'd like to. Especially after that kiss...

"Ah, but he's not here right now, is he?" Lucy inwardly cringed. _I wonder if he could possibly be linked to the cartel?_ Lucy got the feeling that he could be a sex trafficker.

"I-I guess, then. I mean, what's _one_ coffee?" Lucy smiled on the outside, but on the inside she wanted to punch the creep in the teeth.

"Great! Let's go!" Lucy sent Plue back to the Celestial World, then followed the stranger, hoping that she wouldn't be sold as a slave. They walked for a while, passing many places that sold coffee.

"Why don't we go into one of the places we already passed?" Lucy inquired, noticing they were heading into a part of the airport that didn't have nearly as many people from before.

"Because the best coffee place is right over here." He smiled back down at her. Lucy had been playing with the necklace, wondering if she should press the button or not.

"Is their coffee that good?" Lucy asked, deciding to press the button behind the gem.

"Of course!" Mest eyed her necklace for a moment, but then disregarded it.

" _Luce? Is everything okay?_ _"_ Natsu's voice came in her ear.

"Wait, there's no more coffee shops down this way, though. In fact, there's nothing but offices..." Lucy said, keeping the button pressed.

"And nobody to hear your screams." Mest turned around, an evil grin on his face.

" _Luce? What_ _'s going on?!"_ Natsu's voice worriedly asked.

"What?! Get away from me! Help!" Lucy shouted, turning to run away. Mest caught her by the wrist.

"Oh, silly girl, you can't get away from me." Then, everything changed. The surrounding was no longer the one of offices, but of a long, dark hallway. Lucy could make out a few doors, and the grip of Mest around her wrist. "You shouldn't trust strangers so easily." His hot whisper sent cold shivers down Lucy's back.

" _Luce? Where are you? Answer me!_ _"_ Natsu's voice rang out again.

"Get off!" Lucy shouted, kicking Mest in the balls. He hunched over, momentarily letting go of Lucy's wrist. She took this moment to flee away from him. She ran down hallway after hallway in the dark, not knowing where she was going. She just knew that she had to put as much distance as possible between her and Mest.

"Natsu, can you hear me?" He whispered into the dark.

 _"Luce! What's going on?!"_

"I've been captured. I think I'm somewhere downstairs, I don't know. There's a lot of dark hallways. I was able to get away, but I don't know for how long."

 _"Luce, I need you to hide. Can you?"_ Natsu tried to sound calm, but it didn't work.

"I don't think so." Lucy checked a door to see if it would open, but it was locked. Every other one she tried wouldn't budge, either. "None of these doors will open!"

 _"I knew I shouldn't have dragged you into this! Give me more details about your location."_

"Well, there's a lot of doors, and it's really dark. The floor is carpet, and the ceiling is low." Lucy tried to describe everything she could.

 _"Luce! I think I know where you are! There's a bottom floor, but it's not used anymore."_ Natsu sounded a bit relieved.

"Where are you~? You won't get off easy for kicking me in the crotch, little girl!" Mests' voice rang out, and Lucy felt like she was going to pee herself.

 _"Luce, you gotta hide! Wait for me, I promise I'll be there soon!"_ Lucy didn't answer back; she didn't want Mest to hear her.

Lucy came to a part where she could only go either left or right, so she chose right. However, that only led her to a dead end. "No..." She turned to go the other way, but a dark figure was coming her way.

"I found you!" Mest was angry.

"Open, gate of the Lion, Leo!" With a flash of brilliant gold light, Loke appeared by Lucy's side.

"A Celestial Spirit mage, huh?" From the sound of his voice, Lucy could he was smiling.

"Loke!" Lucy cried out as Mest rushed them.

"On it!" Loke ran at Mest and engaged in a battle with him.

"Careful! He uses transformation magic!" Lucy yelled. "Natsu? Can you hear me?"

 _"Are you safe?_ "

"Not exactly, but Loke is fighting Mest right now. Where are you?" Lucy was frightened. She wasn't ready for this type of work, and she was silly to think that she'd be able to help at all.

 _"I'm almost there, Luce! Just hang in there!"_

"Ok-aaaahhhh!" Lucy screamed as she was pushed against the wall.

 _"Luce?! Luce!"_ But she wouldn't answer. Her necklace was torn from her neck, and judging by the cracking noises, it was destroyed.

"Loke?!" Lucy called out.

"He's gone. I transported him far away." Mests' hot air once again licked her ear. "So, you were a spy all along? Humph, too bad your friend won't make it here in time to save you."

 _"Luce, answer me!"_ She heard Natsu frantically scream.

"I'm sorry, Natsu..." She knew he couldn't hear her whispered apology, but she still felt obligated to say it out loud.

"Now, let's go. Gajeel wants to see you." _Gajeel?_

Lucy once again reached for her keys, but Mest yanked them from her waist, along with her whip. Lucy felt all of her hope being squished down into nothingness. Then, at the end of the long hallway, a bright light appeared. It looked like... _fire?_ Mest was ripped off of Lucy, and she heard her keys clink to the ground. Quickly, she picked them up, along with her whip, and watched as the ball of fire died out. The sounds of two men grunting in pain played out in front of her.

"N-Natsu?" She asked.

"I promised you, didn't I?" He asked. Then, a loud _snap_ was heard, and the grunts ceased.

"Natsu!" Lucy ran over to the outlines of the two men. _Was that the sound of Natsu_ _'s neck?!_

"Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm okay." Lucy felt two arms wrap around her body, pulling her close.

"Natsu... I'm so sorry..." She cried into his shirt. "I couldn't do anything... I'm so weak..."

"Don't say that, Luce! If it weren't for you, we never would've found this place." Lucy pulled back, eyes adjusted to the point that she could see his face better.

"Natsu..." She got on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his soft, warm ones. They tasted faintly like charcoal.

The kiss was returned immediately, and Lucy felt her heart fluttering.

"I'm here, too..." Happy's voice trailed off.

"Eek!" Lucy pushed off of Natsu, a burning blush licking at her cheeks.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that, Happy."

"Natsu, I think the leader's name is Gajeel." Lucy said, turning serious.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, at least Mest said that he 'wanted to see' me." Lucy shuddered, wondering what exactly that meant.

"There's no way he means Gajeel Redfox..." Natsu visibly frowned.

"Who?" Lucy asked, unconsciously inching closer to Natsu.

"He's a famous Dragon Slayer like Natsu." Happy said.

"D-Dragon Slayer?!"

"Yeah. The Iron Dragon Slayer." Natsu flung an arm around Lucy's shoulders, which momentarily made her heart beat erratically. "So he's the one behind all of this..." Natsu pulled out a phone and dialed an unknown number, pressing the phone against his ear.

"Gray? This is Natsu. Yeah, I'm calling from a disposable cell. I need backup. Shut up, Ice Princess! This is serious! It's Gajeel Redfox. At the Magnolia Airport, bottom floor. It's his drug cartel / sex trafficking business. Yeah yeah, just hurry!" Natsu hung up the phone while Lucy stared at him in confusion.

"Ice Princess?" Lucy smirked, even though their situation was dire. "Anyway, what do we do now? Wait?"

"Hell naw, Luce!" Then, an evil grin spread across Natsu's face, making Lucy shiver in fear.

"Huh?"

 ** _~Later~_**

Lucy felt each door, frantically looking for the right one. The one that would lead her to Gajeel. She and Natsu came up with a scary, but good plan. Lucy was to act like she was trying to run away, however she'd stumble upon the room where Gajeel and his cronies were. Then, Natsu would come in and set everything on fire. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the _best_ plan, but what else could they do?

Lucy pushed on another door, and as it opened, she fell into the lit room, which blinded her temporarily since the halls were darkened still. When she looked around, she could feel her blood freeze. There were about a dozen girls, all chained to beds. Their skin looked pale and clammy, and they could hardly lift their heads when Lucy entered the room. Some made weird noises, as if to ask for help.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A low voice asked from behind. When Lucy turned around, she saw a huge man with black hair and piercings.

"Who're you?" Lucy asked, watching as he shut the door behind him and lock it.

"They call me Gajeel, but you won't need to remember it. You won't be here long enough to use it, anyway." His grin made Lucy want to pee.

"W-what're you gonna do to me?" Lucy asked, crawling backwards away from him.

"What I did to my other toys." He motioned to all of the poor, helpless girls. _Natsu, I could really use some backup here!_

"Please, don't!" Lucy cried out as a large iron hand connected with her stomach. She felt sick as she was thrown backwards by the blow.

"Shut up, blondie." He waled over to her and effortlessly picked her up and threw her on a bed, chaining her to it. "Oh, and don't expect your friend to come by anytime soon. He's being held up by my men right now." His grin told her that he wasn't lying.

"Let me go!" Lucy screamed as she pulled at the chains in vain. She saw Gajeel grab a syringe. It was filled with a substance that reminded her of drugs.

"Don't worry, this'll only hurt a _lot._ " He laughed as he stuck the needle in Lucy's arm. It felt like a knife, and when he pressed the drug inside of her, it was like a hot poison.

Her blood-curdling scream resonated throughout the room, which only made Gajeel even more happy. Lucy felt her body grow heavy, and her head felt light. Her mind was getting fuzzy, and her veins burned.

"Natsu... Help..." She whispered, hoping that he'd come to her rescue. Gajeel's booming laughter made her head spin, and she felt like she was floating. Sounds became muffled, especially the ones of her clothing being ripped away. Everything was hot and cold at the same time, which was driving Lucy crazy. _Natsu won_ _'t save me... Nobody will..._

Lucy lost consciousness as the door burst open, revealing the FBI, and a _very_ angry Natsu.

 ** _~Later~_**

Lucy's eyes fluttered open, and she winced in pain. Her head felt like it was being split in half, and the bright white light didn't help at all. She heard her name being called, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw a white ceiling. Her brain was still a bit fuzzy, but she managed to sit up anyway.

"Luce?" Lucy turned her head to see a man with pink hair sitting beside her bed.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, it's me, Luce. Happy's here, too, but he fell asleep in a chair. How do you feel?"

"Like my head's splitting in half." She smiled, happy to see him. "What happened?"

"Gajeel injected you with a drug. When we got to you, your clothes had been ripped off, and he was crawling on top of you. Anyway, we caught the bastard and all of the men working for him. The other girls are in the hospital, too. They're trying to recover from all of the drugs and sexual abuse."

"D-did he...?" Lucy looked away, embarrassed.

"No, he didn't. Don't worry, Luce. That guy's never getting out of jail." Natsu looked away, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Natsu..." Lucy placed her hand on his. "We did it, huh?" She smiled.

"I couldn't protect you..."

"You did, though. You saved my ass multiple times, Natsu. And we totally kicked ass." Lucy grinned. "We should be partners. After I grow stronger, of course. I didn't really do much but get kidnapped."

"L-Lucy..." Natsu smiled at her, and gripped her hand tightly.

Yeah, she needed to get stronger. That way, she could fight alongside Natsu, and help to save the day.

 ** _The End_**

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _It took FOREVER to fucking write this. I hope it wasn_** ** _'t garbage. *Sweatdrops* Anyway, let me know what you guys thought about it!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


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